30.09.2005

Malcolm Bowers and AFI part company

Malcolm Bowers, Sales Director, major shareholder and founder of AFI has decided to “hang up his spurs” and look for new challenges.”

Bowers founded the AFI business as Aerials For Industry back in 1998 with financial director David Ridge. In May 2002 David Shipman and Geoff Gibson, who had both previously been with the Lavendon group, agreed to buy into the business. Shipman took over the Managing Directors role, while Bowers became Sales director.
Please register to see all images

Malcolm Bowers

Since then the business has grown rapidly to the point where within the next six months the company expects to become the third largest powered access rental company in the UK (AFI are Number 4 in the Cranes&Access Top 20 2005) with sights set firmly on the number two slot.

AFI Chairman and Managing Director David Shipman said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Malcolm for his immense contribution to AFI over the years. He can be proud of all his efforts and achievements. We wish him well.”

Bowers entered the Access business over 34 years ago when he joined the Leeds office of Zip-Up hire, the rental arm of the alloy tower manufacturer. After a spell with Grayston Scaffolding he founded Access Rental Ltd with Pete Pemberton. In 1989 he sold this business to Roskild for £1.8 million, Roskild sold the business on to the Lavendon group at the end of 1992 and it was integrated into Nationwide.

So what next for Mr Bowers? We understand that he plans to work on some personal property development work, but that he has also told us that he would be interested in staying in touch with the access industry, perhaps by offering his services on a consulting basis to companies who are interested in selling their products on the UK access market.